Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we talk about our Populous takeaways and then take a little bonus look at Populous: the Beginning , an RTS spinoff from the original games. We talk about how the game takes concepts from the originals and molds them into something new, before turning to feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: A few missions Podcast breakdown: 0:56 Takeaways and Populous: The...
Sep 23, 2020•1 hr 36 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on 1989's genre-defining Populous . We take a little more time with the game and then think about how and why and it might have hit so big at the time, in addition to considering its principal designer, Peter Molyneux. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Several more battles Podcast breakdown: 0:50 Populous Discussion 51:30 Break 52:02 Feedb...
Sep 16, 2020•1 hr 23 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on 1989's Bullfrog Productions hit and originator of the God Game genre, Populous . We talk about using the mouse in 1989 and dive into particular strategies and the surprising depth of the game, before turning to feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Another... 5? Levels Issues covered: the tutorial just going on, restarting a conqu...
Sep 09, 2020•1 hr 18 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we begin a series on the Bullfrog classic Populous . We set the game in its time and place and talk a little bit about Bullfrog and the different directions simulation games were going, driven by different designers, before talking a little bit about the weirdnesses of this game proper. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Tutorial and First Battle Podcast breakdow...
Sep 02, 2020•1 hr 32 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we finish our series on Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney . This week we talk about the final original case, particularly looking at the growing complexity of the story, and then turn to our takeaways and feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Turnabout Goodbyes Podcast breakdown: 0:48 Phoenix Wright Case 4 59:57 Break 1:00:34 Takeaways and Feedback Issues cover...
Aug 19, 2020•1 hr 34 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on Capcom's 2001 Japanese GBA title/2005 US DS title Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney . We revisit the history just a bit before diving into this next case, talking about "detectiving" and adventure game tropes (and how/whether they work here), as well as various ways in which the game pushes its mechanics before turning to feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing comm...
Aug 12, 2020•1 hr 36 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we begin a new series on Capcom's 2001 Japanese GBA title/2005 US DS title Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney . We talk a bit about the year, the visual novel as a form we're not all that familiar with, although we've each played at least one, and then dive into the game properly before turning to reviews. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Cases 1 & 2 Podcast brea...
Aug 05, 2020•1 hr 34 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we at last complete our series on Republic Commando , with an interview with technical artist Jeremie Talbot, now at Pixar as a Characters Supervisor. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:53 Interview 1:12:01 Break 1:12:35 Feedback Issues covered: growing up in Canada, going to college in the states, interning for Alias, bartering skills with a weather station,...
Jul 29, 2020•1 hr 38 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue to flog the dead tauntaun of our series on Republic Commando , through a pair of interviews. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:53 Interview One 54:05 Break One 54:17 Interview Two 1:46:40 Break Two 1:45:55 Feedback Issues covered: starting out as a theater geek, finding a job in the newspaper, faking co-op via phone, QA as the breeding ground for...
Jul 22, 2020•2 hr 1 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we just keep on rolling about Republic Commando , on which both of your hosts worked. This week we talk with lead animator Dave Bogan, about his journey into the industry and what stuck out for him on this project, among many other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:44 Interview 1:19:32 Break 1:20:05 Feedback Issues covered: our rampant professionalis...
Jul 15, 2020•1 hr 36 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we are beginning to come dangerously close to spending longer talking about Republic Commando than we did playing it. This time, we get a look behind art development for Star Wars through the eyes and voices of two artists who worked on the title: Greg Knight, who was the principal concept artist for the game, and Paul Pierce, who designed the look and feel of the user interface. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over seve...
Jul 08, 2020•1 hr 56 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we welcome another interview, this time with industry veteran and current VP of Design at Schell Games, Harley Baldwin. Harley talks about her path through the industry and about her time especially at LucasArts and Republic Commando , on which she served as a level designer. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:45 Interview 1:25:23 Break 1:25:51 Feedback Issue...
Jul 01, 2020•2 hr 10 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we delve deeper into audio and music on Republic Commando , via our interview with David Collins and Jesse Harlin, the audio lead and composer for the game, respectively. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:48 Interview 1:45:20 Break 1:45:56 Outro Issues covered: going from film scoring to games, writing a column, dealing with the suits, getting the games at a...
Jun 24, 2020•1 hr 54 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we conclude our series on the 2005 squad-based shooter Star Wars Republic Commando , on which both hosts worked. We talk about some of the difficulty unevenness of the game, some of the process of building the game, a bit about enemy and squad AI, and especially how we came to differentiate the characters and inject some humor. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: ...
Jun 17, 2020•1 hr 49 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on the 2005 squad-based shooter Star Wars Republic Commando , on which both hosts worked. We talk about demoing at E3, some of the design philosophies evidenced by the scavenger droid and tidbits from the levels we played, before turning to feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : Through the Prosecutor Issues covered : getting approva...
Jun 10, 2020•2 hr 21 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we begin a new series on the 2005 squad-based shooter S tar Wars Republic Commando , on which both hosts worked. We first set the game in its time and also look at the various introductions made in the first part of the game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: The Geonosis section Issues covered: revisiting our game and what it was like, a new console generation,...
Jun 03, 2020•1 hr 53 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we cap off our revisit of the unique series Animal Crossing with a bonus episode about it's latest installment, Animal Crossing: New Horizons . We talk about the feeling of the new game, the intersection of new mechanics and quality-of-life improvements and how they change the feel of the game, and we give the museum some love in addition to other topics and feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes...
May 27, 2020•1 hr 43 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on the unique Animal Crossing . We talk about the holidays we visited, Mr. Resetti and not wanting to mess with your save, going to the island, and many more, before turning to our series takeaways and feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: An hour a day! (Many in holidays.) Podcast breakdown: 0:41 Animal Crossing 1:07:38 Break 1:08:1...
May 20, 2020•2 hr 2 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on the unique series Animal Crossing . We talk about collecting, changing the world, paying off your second mortgage, the many purposes the animals serve, and the fun the developers seem to have had contributing ideas to the game, among other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: An hour each day! Issues covered: Brett's growing gyroid...
May 13, 2020•1 hr 11 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on the unique series Animal Crossing . We talk about real time gaming, acquisition loops, how it resembles a mobile game and other topics, before turning to reviews. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: An hour a day! Issues covered: pinchy-pinchy and puns, wanting to pay off that second loan, the daily routine of play, filling about an hour,...
May 06, 2020•1 hr 16 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we begin a new series on the unique series Animal Crossing . We situate the game briefly in time before turning to some of the ways the game introduces itself and its mechanics, before turning to feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: An hour a day! Podcast breakdown: 0:50 Animal Crossing 1:08:09 Break 1:08:43 Feedback Issues covered: "this is one of my fav...
Apr 29, 2020•1 hr 33 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we return to Blizzard's 2004 classic MMORPG World of Warcraft . We discuss the pace of the game in solo vs group, another dungeon, and make some observations about MMO combat before turning to feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up to level 30 Podcast breakdown: 0:53 WoW Talk 1:06:32 Break 1:07:08 Feedback Issues covered: blasts from the LucasArts past, ...
Apr 22, 2020•1 hr 47 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we complete our series playing Chrono Trigger . We discuss the handful of remaininig quests in "The Fated Hour" and defeating Lavos (as an afterthought) before turning to our takeaways and feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Finish the game! Podcast breakdown: 0:48 Chrono Trigger 1:27:22 Break 1:28:05 Feedback Issues covered: reforestation with Robo, bei...
Apr 15, 2020•2 hr 38 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series playing Chrono Trigger . We hit the story notes first and doing things in your own order before turning especially to where the game goes once we reach "The Fated Hour." Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up into The Fated Hour Podcast breakdown: 0:50 Chrono Trigger 1:08:35 Break 1:09:07 Feedback Issues covered: the chapters at the end, the...
Apr 08, 2020•1 hr 36 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series playing Chrono Trigger . We talk about new modes of exploring the game, the tone of the translation between the two of us, some of the boss battles and go over the story bits for the week. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up to "What Lies Beyond?" Podcast breakdown: 0:53 Chrono Trigger 1:14:42 Break 1:15:17 Feedback Issues covered: bowlin...
Apr 01, 2020•1 hr 31 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series playing Chrono Trigger . We talk exploration vs following the story threads, delve deeper into the combat, chat about the game's difficulty and accessibility, along with story recaps and other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up to the Magus's Castle Podcast breakdown: 0:52 Chrono Trigger 1:30:48 Break 1:31:22 Feedback Issues cove...
Mar 25, 2020•2 hr 13 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we begin our series playing Chrono Trigger , the beloved 1995 SNES classic. We cover a lot of ground with this one, including the story, some of the combat, the way the game pays attention to you... all sorts of topics for a corker of a game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up to The End of Time! Podcast breakdown: 0:51 Chrono Trigger 1:31:07 Break 1:31:41 Fee...
Mar 18, 2020•2 hr 22 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we finish our Civilization III discussion with an interview with Jeff Morris, producer on Civilization III and long-time producer in the industry. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:47 Interview 1:09:53 Break 1:10:25 Feedback Issues covered: not being suited to programming, being part of the problem, the huge shadow of Origin growing up, getting a job through...
Mar 11, 2020•1 hr 53 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our Civilization III discussion with an interview with Soren Johnson, Civilization III designer and programmer and head of Mohawk Games. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:49 Interview 1:39:20 Break 1:39:54 Feedback Issues covered: surprises on the 200th episode, getting into games, mispronouncing a California city, computer science as a term, fig...
Mar 04, 2020•2 hr 9 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we engage in a little bonus talk about 2014's Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth . We talk about the game's strengths and iterations over Civ III and also the things that particular work for the hosts in the game, before turning to a brief celebration of our episode 200 and some feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: A few hours of Beyond Earth (9 for B...
Feb 26, 2020•1 hr 51 min
